With help from Clive Nelson and my Alpine friend Tony Gomis I have now asked for help from Gerard Magro - he owns a Bagheera (perfect!) and is the all time record holder at Etretat in a Simca CG. This is the email I have just sent to him...
Dear Gerard,
I have been alerted to an advertisement in France for a LSD from a Rancho suitable for a Bagheera.
I would like to find a Limited Slip Differential for the Bagheera but I am advised that the Rancho LSD is not suitable for my needs as it intended to help the Rancho escape from a muddy field and not intended to help it go around corners quickly!
This all I have found out so far...
The Rancho LSD is a simple On/Off mechanical system which locks both wheels together if the difference in their rotational speed exceeds 30%. It is therefore not suitable for competition use where a proportional action is required.
This is the link I used....
http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_auto/393239425.htm?ca=17_sWho made it? Not known
Is there a nameplate / type number / model / serial number etc. None found
Condition? Unknown
Will it fit in the standard differential casing or does it have to be an enlarged version? The Matra club expert tells me that it is 20mm wider than the standard Bagheera "pont" but only needs the drive shaft shortening by this amount.
My apologies for asking for your help!
If this LSD is not suitable (and I think it is NOT suitable) do you have any suggestions where I might find one or have one made?
Thank you for your help
Andy Owler
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Advice from Tony Gomis
Andy. You are certainly correct about not having the sudden-locking type for tarmac events.
As requested in the ad, I contacted vendor "Gerard" by phone. I get the impression he's one floor short of a tower block, as he really didn't know too much about it, the suggestion being that it's a friend's, not his. Anywhere, it's still there. He was asking 400euro, but clearly would accept less : he mentioned 300.
He says it's made for a Simca transmission. He says it's the progressive type. "30/40 per cent maximum".
Tony